Patient Library / Cardiovascular Disease / High Blood Pressure
High Blood Pressure
Hypertension has multiple identifiable drivers, most of them modifiable, and naturopathic medicine excels at addressing them.
High blood pressure affects roughly 1 in 4 Canadian adults and is one of the leading modifiable risk factors for heart attack and stroke. Yet in most cases, the conversation goes directly from measurement to medication, without investigating what's actually driving the elevation. Insulin resistance, magnesium deficiency, sleep apnea, chronic stress, and primary aldosteronism are each common, treatable causes that are frequently missed.
Multiple Treatable Drivers
Insulin resistance, magnesium deficiency, sleep apnea, chronic stress, excess sodium relative to potassium, and primary aldosteronism are all common causes of hypertension; each requires a different approach.
DASH Diet Is Medication-Level Effective
The DASH diet produces blood pressure reductions of 8–14 mmHg systolic, comparable to a single antihypertensive medication, through its effects on potassium, magnesium, and sodium balance.
Magnesium Relaxes Vessels
Magnesium deficiency, prevalent in Western diets, directly raises blood pressure through smooth muscle contraction in blood vessel walls. Supplementation reliably reduces blood pressure in deficient patients.
What You Need to Know
Frequently Asked Questions
References & Further Reading
This article is for education and is not a substitute for individual medical advice. For background reading, these independent health authorities offer evidence-based information:
- Cholesterol — U.S. National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus)
- High Blood Pressure — U.S. National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus)
- High Cholesterol: Risk & Prevention — Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada
- Omega-3 Supplements: In Depth — NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
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Read moreHow I Treat This
These are the services I most commonly draw on when working with high blood pressure.
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